Redefining Technology Literacy Pedagogy and Practice
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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-2013 "iDilemmas" and Humanities Education: Redefining echnologyT Literacy Pedagogy and Practice Steven Richard Watts Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Watts, Steven Richard, ""iDilemmas" and Humanities Education: Redefining echnologyT Literacy Pedagogy and Practice" (2013). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1728. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1728 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "IDILEMMAS" AND HUMANITIES EDUCATION: REDEFINING TECHNOLOGY LITERACY PEDAGOGY AND PRACTICE by Steven R. Watts A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in English Literature and Writing Approved: ______________________ ______________________ David Hailey Ryan M. Moeller Major Professor Committee Member ______________________ ______________________ Ronald Shook Mark McLellan Committee Member Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2013 ii Copyright © Steven R. Watts 2013 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT "iDilemmas" and Humanities Education: Redefining Technology Literacy Pedagogy and Practice by Steven R. Watts, Master of Science Utah State University, 2013 Major Professor: Dr. David Hailey Department: English U.S. and global citizens will increasingly be called upon to navigate complex social issues surrounding information and communication technologies (ICTs). At the start of the 21st century, humanities educators are uniquely positioned to impact the ways technology literacy is taught and learned in secondary and post-secondary educational settings. Cultural, social, and textual criticism are increasingly embedded in the evolving theories surrounding technology literacy. To build the new kinds of technocultural humanism required, however, humanities educators must continue to fight against fragmented, "atheoretical" technology literacy practices that while not ill-intentioned, do not fit the methodologies needed to produce the best results. Humanities educators must 1) inoculate themselves against the "E- Literacy Myth" positing that Gen-Y / Millennial students are inherently "tech savvy"; 2) be willing to provide key perspectives and conversations that have been largely absent iv from technology discussions; 3) avoid focusing research on narrow textual perspectives, but also investigate the vast range of practical and social implications of technology's use conditions; and 4) explore new classroom techniques that can produce immediate technology literacy gains even if programmatic changes are not forthcoming. (89 pages) v PUBLIC ABSTRACT "iDilemmas" and Humanities Education: Redefining Technology Literacy Pedagogy and Practice Humanities educators at U.S. colleges and universities face sustained challenges in building effective technology literacy practices. As theories of technology literacy evolve, humanities topics are increasingly relevant in technology discussions, as rhetorical and critical analysis, textual analysis, and student learning theory are deeply embedded in current definitions of technology literacy. As such, humanities scholars have dramatic opportunities to become more involved in technology studies generally, and have a voice in technology policies that affect their institutions and students. However, critical research, classroom teaching methods, and curricula in ICT literacy have fallen behind current needs, and many institutions struggle to define appropriate ICT methodologies, policies, and practices. Though students regularly exhibit surface-level skills in navigating information and communication technologies' (ICTs) user interfaces, they often lack critical knowledge frameworks to move beyond being passive technology users and consumers. Humanities scholars have the opportunity to better serve their institutions of learning and students by embracing a model of technology "multiliteracy," where functional technology concepts are joined with broader social and rhetorical issues. By studying computers not just as "tools," but as metaphors for broader patterns of thinking, rhetoric, and "ways of knowing," students can build better technology knowledge frameworks, and humanities scholars can re-invent their futures from a position of strength, as their knowledge and expertise intertwine with critical conversations surrounding technology studies and policies. Steven R. Watts vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to immensely thank the Utah State University Department of English faculty, advisors, and administrators for creating an engaging and rewarding course of study that ultimately led to this thesis. The professionalism evidenced by so many demonstrates a remarkable commitment to the true spirit of humanist study, connecting passion and creativity to the pursuit of knowledge. Special thanks goes out to my wife, Sabrina, who has (mostly) cheerfully born the challenges of "academic widow-hood" with grace—and provided a much-needed kick in the pants as often as necessary. In a very real sense, this thesis is as much hers as it is mine. Steven R. Watts vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................iii PUBLIC ABSTRACT..........................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..................................................................................................vi TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................vii LIST OF TABLES..............................................................................................................ix INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1 The E-Literacy Myth.......................................................................................................1 Fractures in the Myth .....................................................................................................4 The Meaning of the Myth...............................................................................................8 PART I – CONCEPTIONS OF LITERACY.....................................................................13 The Humanist Imperative..............................................................................................15 PART II – SETTING THE FRAMEWORK......................................................................19 Humanist Involvement = Immediate Gains .................................................................22 PART III - FROM THE "ATHEORETICAL" TO THE MULTILITERATE....................................................................................................25 Teaching With Technology /= "Teaching Technology".................................................27 The Multiliteracies: Functional, Critical, Rhetorical....................................................29 Looking Inward Institutionally.....................................................................................31 PART IV – IN THE CLASSROOM..................................................................................35 Technology as a Metaphor and Culture.........................................................................36 Computers as Tools.......................................................................................................39 Computers as Artifacts..................................................................................................43 Computers as a Communications Medium...................................................................47 Other Metaphors............................................................................................................49 From the LCD to the Chalkboard..................................................................................54 PART V – CURRENT BARRIERS TO CHANGE...........................................................57 The Enemy Within........................................................................................................58 Refining "Pro-textual" Approaches to Research...........................................................63 Finding Rhetoric+.........................................................................................................68 PART VI – CONCLUSION...............................................................................................72 viii REFERENCES..................................................................................................................74 ix LIST OF TABLES Table Page 3-1 Reproduction of Table 5.1 from Multiliteracies for a Digital Age....... 32 1 INTRODUCTION The E-Literacy Myth In 2008, Emory University professor Mark Bauerlein, a regular contributor to CNN and former Director of the Office of Research and Analysis for the National Endowment for the Arts, published the controversial book The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future. The text, as one might predict